Major Settlement Research Articles

Informal Settlement Characterization and Socio-Economic Vulnerability Assessment in Kolkata Metropolitan City, India

The study investigates the physical, social, and economic environment of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) to elucidate the living conditions of informal settlements and its influence on the local environment using geoinformatics and multi-criteria decision making-analytical hierarchical process (MCDM-AHP). The informal settlements were delineated using high-resolution Google Earth imagery and generic ontology informal settlements. knowledge considering building characteristics, building density, locations of the dwelling units, and their characteristics. The study exhibits that most informal settlements were concentrated in the wards located in the eastern and central parts of the city. The neighborhood land-use functions of the major informal settlements indicated that the informal settlements were highly influenced by green space (R2=0.97), followed by water bodies (R2=0.74), unplanned settlement (R2=0.68) and planned settlement (R2=0.67) in KMA. In addition, the informal settlements were closely associated with very low relief zones (3m to 13m) followed by moderate relief zones (13-23m). The municipal ward-level analysis of the physical-socio-economic health conditions exhibited that most of the areas located in the low vulnerable zones (53.71 km2; primarily in southern, and eastern periphery), followed by very highly vulnerable zones (43.09 km2; primarily in central and northern parts). The study provides an insight into urban areas with special reference to informal settlements and necessitates the implication of effective policy for poverty alleviation. This study encourages the availability of real-time data that can improve mitigation activities in the event of a health disaster, such as SARS COVID-19 through methods for qualitative investigation of disadvantaged locations in Kolkata.

The Essence of Commercial Bank, principles and functions

The paper describes the relevance of the topic, sets the goal and objectives, specifies the theoretical and methodological foundations, specifies that the banking system guides the country's payments and settlements system, defines the essence, principles and functions of a commercial bank. The banking system is a wide range of diverse services, starting from traditional savings-loan and settlement-cash operations, ending with modern monetary credit and financial instruments. The bank is an intermediary link that attracts the temporarily free resources of economic subjects and supplies them to those subjects of the economy who experience a temporary shortage of these resources. The bank assumes the risk of non-return of resources. The effective operation of the payment system in any country requires the improvement of settlement operations and their technologies. Banks are the centers through which the majority of settlement and payment transactions are carried out. Settlements and payments of an individual or a legal entity, as well as of the entire economy, are carried out through banks. The theoretical and methodological basis of the work is - the researches of Georgian and foreign scientists on the regulation of the banking sector, the analytical works of various authors, the information-statistical and analytical materials of the National Bank of Georgia. Key words: Banking system, active bank transactions, passive operations.

Understanding the presence of Cannabis across the Holocene in Central India

Pollen records from sediment cores do not allow understanding of past human use of Cannabis because Cannabis may also grow naturally or increase incidentally in the presence of human settlements. This is particularly true in Asia, where Cannabis was not used as hemp as often as it was in Europe; hemp retting makes it easy to identify Cannabis use as it causes characteristically high increases in Cannabis fossil pollen in strata where it was used. In this study, we evaluate the evidence for Cannabis cultivation and use in Central India, where Cannabis fossil pollen occur in sediment cores from ∼ 12.2 ka (1 ka= 1000 y ago). While the public perception is that Cannabis has a long history of use in South Asia, textual sources suggest significant increases in Cannabis use ∼1–2 ka. To disentangle Cannabis presence due to natural dispersal and due to use, we develop a new approach. Artemisia grows alongside Cannabis and disperses in similar conditions, whether naturally or due to increase in human settlements. We investigate when Cannabis increased in the paleo-record independent of Artemisia, and find that Cannabis increased ∼ 2.5 ka in areas close to major early historic settlements, where Cannabis displays characteristic patterns of cultivation. Cannabis does not display these patterns away from the early historic settlements. These dates are similar to findings of Cannabis use as hemp in the Himalayas (2.5 ka) and as a drug in China (2.7 ka), but pre-date the proliferation of Cannabis presence in textual sources. Overall, Cannabis pollen presence in pre-historic India (<2.5 ka), although common, is likely to be because of natural dispersal of Cannabis.

Особливості просторової поведінки носіїв межиріцької верхньопалеолітичної традиції

Sites of Mezhyrichian tradition of the Middle Dnieper Epigravettian provide critical insights into the seasonal mobility and functional use of space by prehistoric communities. The study of the Dwelling 4 at the Mezhyrich settlement has unveiled distinct patterns in the organization of living space, particularly concerning the placement of functionally diverse objects within and around mammoth bone dwellings. An analysis of the interior of the fourth dwelling reveals a clear differentiation of economic activities across different sections of the space. This functional variation within the dwelling suggests diverse aspects of social life, potentially including gender roles and economic specialization. The spatial arrangement of household assemblages demonstrates a pronounced symmetry, with objects systematically arranged around a central hearth and oriented according to the cardinal points. This centralized spatial organization is evident not only at the individual settlement level but also across the broader micro-region, reflected in the relationship between major settlements with monumental architecture and temporary summer camps. The analysis of site layouts, along with the spatial and topographical positioning of Middle Dnieper settlements, provides compelling evidence of the regularity and symmetry in the behaviour of Epigravettian society. Seasonal mobility played a crucial role in shaping worldviews, which were expressed through the spatial arrangement of objects and the creation of «landscape ornament» by these prehistoric inhabitants. Ornamentation in art, architecture, and the placement of anthropogenic objects signifies the process of humanization, the domestication of space, and the symbolic mastery of the landscape. These phenomena were vital tools for the psychological adaptation of groups to the conditions of the late Würm Glacial, ensuring resilience in a changing environment. Key words: hunter-gatherers, Upper Palaeolithic, Eastern Epigravettian, Mezhyrich culture, archaeological site, spatial analysis.

원삼국~백제 한성기 취락의 저장 양상 변화

In the process of state formation, storage methods can change according to political, economic, and social transformations. This study aims to identify such changes in storage methods, storage amounts, and stored crops by comparing and analyzing various types of archaeological evidence, such as crop remains, pottery, storage pits, and above-ground structures from sites of the central region of the Korean Peninsula dating the Proto-Three Kingdoms to Baekje’s Hanseong period. The results of the analysis revealed that, in the Gyeonggi region, the tendency to store crops indoors was weakened by the Hanseong period. However, in major settlements, this tendency persisted, and the use of external storage facilities increased, with rice becom-ing a significant crop for external storage. In the Yeongseo region, the change in indoor storage methods was not as distinct as in the Gyeonggi region, but there was a noticeable change in external storage patterns. Overall, the use of deep storage pits increased, new storage crops were added, and the use of external storage facilities increased somewhat in the Namhan River basin. Analyzing the reasons for these changes based on contemporary contexts, it was found that both the Gyeonggi and Yeongseo regions were influenced by changes in agricultural production methods. In the case of the Gyeonggi region, the in-creased complexity of society, such as the intensification of social stratification and the dif-ferentiation of site functions, also influenced storage strategies.

Temporal dynamics of land use land cover (LULC) changes and assessment of environmental and climatic parameters using remote sensing and GIS: A case study in Limboti Reservoir, Loha Taluka, Maharashtra, India

In this study, multispectral satellite data from Landsat 4-5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS was used to analyse Land Use Land Cover (LULC) change detection and to retrieve environmental parameters. The LULC change detection was done between 2007 and 2021. This study used the supervised classification-maximum likelihood approach in ArcGIS 10.3 software to detect LULC in Loha Taluka, Maharashtra. The taluka was classified into four major LULC classes, viz. water, vegetation, settlement and barren-land. Changes in LULC directly or indirectly will also induce a change in the environmental parameters. Environmental parameters (water surface temperature, chlorophyll-a concentration and total suspended solids) were analysed for Limboti Reservoir. Data were predicted for next two years (2022 and 2023) using multiplicative seasonal decomposition and Holt-Winter’s multiplicative method and trends of each parameter were analysed using Mann-Kendall trend method. For both years, vegetative land was the most extensive LC in Loha Taluka, accounting for more than 60% of the total land area. However, throughout these years, urbanisation was rampant and vegetative land was converted to settlement. In these years, open water resources such as reservoirs, lakes and rivers covered a very small percentage of the total area, which is a serious threat to the ecosystem. As a result, proper water body management is essential; otherwise, these resources will be destroyed and will no longer be able to contribute to the area’s socioeconomic growth. Keywords: Change detection, Chlorophyll content, Land use land cover, Water quality, Water surface temperature

Landscape fragmentation and connectivity as key variables on occurrence of human-wildlife interactions

Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are one of the most highly studied topics from the fields of wildlife management and are reported to be increasing globally as anthropogenic lands uses expand into wild lands, especially in mountainous areas where forest habitats are in the proximity of human settlements. The upper Prahova Valley in south-central Romania provides habitat to several native charismatic wildlife species. Since 1990 this area has become a major tourist destination now characterized by a high density of major transport infrastructures and homes. To assess how the changes in land use have affected HWIs, from September 2018 to August 2019, we discussed with 370 local citizens from the cities of Sinaia, Bușteni and Predeal. We developed maps of wildlife habitat fragmentation and connectivity and superimposed them over the locations with the HWI hotspots. According to the results, over 50% of the hotspots identified where located in areas exhibiting the greatest level of fragmentation, and the species frequently involved in interactions were the brown bear (Ursus arctos), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). The maps suggest that habitat fragmentation could represent a primal cause for the regions’ high frequency of animal descents into settlements, since wildlife habitats and ecological corridors are affected by the fragmentation of anthropogenic infrastructures especially in the proximity of major settlements. As a conclusion, our results highlight the need for sustainable landscape planning in order to optimize biodiversity management and diminish interactions between humans and wild animals, based on: a) mapping the areas characterized by high quality wildlife habitats and including them into a system of strict protection, b) developing or enhancing wildlife ecological corridors to favour animal movement between intact ecosystems, and c) regulating the expansion of human infrastructures in the proximity of strictly protected habitats.

Posh Anthroponyms in Northern Bulgaria

This study focuses on the most recent trends in the name-giving process among the Bulgarians, citizens of the Northern part of the country, specifically the major settlements in the area including Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, and Varna, over a ten-year research period (2008 – 2018).

Physicochemical Analysis of Surface Water in Rohri Canal from Sukkur Barrage to Mehrabpur

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of domestic and industrial waste discharge on the surface water quality of Rohri Canal in the stretch of the canal from Sukkur Barrage to Mehrabpur town. Eight sampling points were selected along the canal focusing on canal locations near major settlements. The parameters studied were temperature, pH, turbidity, hardness, alkalinity, total dissolved solids and suspended solids, chlorides, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and E-coli. The average value of BOD and COD at the sampling stations were recorded as 212 mg/L and 423 mg/L respectively, which exceed the permissible surface water limits for drinking and irrigation purposes. The results indicate significantly higher value of BOD in sampling locations where there are major settlements and there is a continuous inflow of untreated sewage into the canal. The pH values at all the sampling sites were found within the drinking and irrigation water quality standards whereas the TDS values at only sampling stations (3 and 4) exceeded these limits. The turbidity values of the samples ranged from 237 to 821 NTU, exceeding the WHO drinking water quality standards for this parameter. The values of the water quality parameters including hardness (range 146 to 300 mg/L), chlorides (range 36 to 103 mg/L) and alkalinity (range 120 to 230 mg/L) were found well below the limits of WHO drinking water quality standards. The turbidity values of the samples ranged from 237 to 821 NTU and exceeded the WHO drinking water quality standards for this parameter. At all the sampling sites located near major settlements low levels of dissolved oxygen and the presence of E.coli were recorded. The results revealed that the continuous inflowing of untreated or un-treated sewage and industrial effluents into the canal has changed its physicochemical and biological characteristics, which make it unfit for human consumption and can have long-term irrevocable ecological threats if left unmanaged

Analyzing coastal erosion and sedimentation using Sentinel-1 SAR change detection: An application on the Volta Delta, Ghana

Ghana's coastline has been facing erosion and sedimentation phenomena for several decades, resulting in a serious threat to life and property considering that major urban settlements are located on the coast. In this region, there has been a lack of emphasis on comprehensive, large-scale investigations into coastal changes: prior research has predominantly centered on site-specific assessments. These studies have revealed alarming erosion rates, with reports indicating that nearly ten meters are lost annually. The use of high-resolution remotely sensed data can be a consistent support in regions where physical or economic obstacles interfere with collecting in situ information. In particular, the use of continuous all-weather SAR data may facilitate the evaluation of erosion and sedimentation phenomena in coastal areas. In this paper, we apply SAR data over a time period between 2017 and 2021. Sentinel-1 data are pre-processed using the Google Earth Engine platform, and a dedicated algorithm is then applied to identify and quantify erosion and sedimentation processes. Optical images are used as a reference for detecting the location of two areas where consistent sedimentation and erosion phenomena occurred in the considered four years. The results demonstrate that SAR backscattering variations over time offer a reliable method for monitoring coastal changes. This approach enables the identification of the type of phenomena occurring - sedimentation or erosion -, and allows for the quantification of their intensity and dimensions over time. The method can be worldwide applied once the appropriate thresholds are evaluated and help in predictive studies and environmental planning.

Physical Modeling of a Soft Soil Improved with Stone Columns

Abstract This paper reports on an experimental study conducted on a soft cohesive soil improved with stone columns. The load–deformation behavior of the soil specimen has been captured by varying the number of columns, foundation shape, and stones’ particle gradation. A uniform soil bed has been prepared under controlled density and moisture conditions inside a cubic steel tank and stone columns have been installed. Keeping the vertical compressive load, length, and diameter of stone columns constant, five different stone sizes of uniform gradations having average particle sizes ranging between 1.5 and 11 mm have been examined. Load tests are performed using square- and circular-shaped footing plates, and the physical models have been subsequently simulated using the finite element method. The analysis of results revealed that the foundation shape has insignificant effect on current small-scale model testing, but it may be significant at magnified scale. With the increase in particle size, a better reduction in settlement could be achieved, thus implying better improvement. Observed results indicated settlement of a single column is governed by both punching and bulging of column, whereas in a group, the major settlement takes place because of punching into the soil. Nevertheless, this study provides verified and comprehensive frameworks for both physical and numerical model testing of different soils improved with stone columns that would directly benefit practitioners to optimize a site-specific soil improvement program involving the use of stone columns.

Re-thinking Chalcolithic landscapes in southeast Iberia: the case of the Middle Antas river (Almeria, Spain)

Our understanding of Chalcolithic settlements in southern Iberia (c. 3200–2200 bce) has changed dramatically in recent decades. Instead of clearly bounded and dense settlements, archaeology is establishing a range of site types, some sparsely settled, some quite large. Such varied settlement typology is now understood as being part of a thriving period of development, which included monumental tombs, high-quality craft organisation and highly dynamic exchange networks. This article presents recent work around the River Antas in Almeria, Spain, which has revealed a complex settlement network along the river for the period in question. This new evidence challenges our understanding of prehistoric habitation in the area and poses new questions about major settlement pattern changes in the prehistory of the region.

Small villages and their sanitary infrastructure—an unnoticed influence on water quantity and a threat to water quality in headwater catchments

In rural catchments, villages often feature their own, separate urban water infrastructure, including combined sewer overflows (CSOs) or wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). These point sources affect the water quantity and quality of the receiving low order streams. However, the extent of this impact is rarely monitored. We installed discharge and water quality measurements at the outlet of two small, neighbouring headwater catchments, one that includes a village, a WWTP, and two CSOs, while the other is predominantly influenced by agricultural activities. We also deployed electrical conductivity (EC) loggers at the CSOs to accurately detect discharge times. Discharge from the WWTP and CSOs led to higher peak flows and runoff coefficients during events. Less dilution of EC and increasing ammonium-N (NH4 − N) and ortho-phosphorus (oPO4 − P) concentrations indicate a significant contribution of poorly treated wastewater from the WWTP. During CSO events, water volumes and nutrient loads were clearly elevated, although concentrations were diluted, except for nitrite-N (NO2 − N) and particulate phosphorus (PP). Baseflow nitrate-N (NO3 − N) concentrations were diluted by the WWTP effluent, which led to considerably lower concentrations compared to the more agriculturally influenced stream. Concentrations of oPO4 − P, NH4 − N, and NO2 − N, which are most likely to originate from the WWTP, vary throughout the year but are always elevated. Our study shows the major and variable impact rural settlements can have on stream hydrology and water quality. Point sources should be monitored more closely to better understand the interaction of natural catchment responses and effects caused by sanitary infrastructure.

A combined approach to reconstructing livestock management in Iron Age north-eastern Iberia: estimating the season of death and palaeodiet using cementochronology and dental micro- and mesowear analyses

Two major settlements were established in the Empordà region (north-eastern Iberian Peninsula) in the Iron Age (6th-2nd centuries BC), 15 km from each other: the Greek colony of Empúries and the Iberian city of Ullastret. This coexistence of two different ethnic entities in the same region – and the same environment – presents an opportunity to shed light on the variability of livestock practices in these settlements, as well as their relationship with the environment. For this purpose, in addition to traditional zooarchaeological approaches, we reconstructed the animal palaeodiet and seasonality of death using three different proxies: dental meso- and microwear analyses, and cementum analysis. The results of the study, conducted on caprine and bovine teeth from both sites, support the hypothesis proposed in previous works, namely that the environment was exploited differently depending on livestock species. Caprinae (sheep and goats) were fed in marginal areas and less suitable areas for agriculture while, in contrast, cattle grazed on rich grassland and/or in wetland areas. The combination of cementochronology and dental microwear suggests a lower consumption of grasses in summer for Caprinae and cattle. Seasonality results show that Caprinae were mainly slaughtered during spring and summer.

The Initial Upper Paleolithic of the Altai: New radiocarbon determinations for the Kara-Bom site

The Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) is one of the most important phases in the recent period of the evolution of humans. During a narrow period in the first half of Marine Isotope Stage 3 laminar industries, accompanied by developed symbolism and specific blade technology, emerged over a vast area, replacing different variants of the Middle Paleolithic. In western Eurasia, the earliest appearance of IUP technology is seen at the Boker Tachtit site, dated ca. 50 ka cal BP. The earliest evidence of IUP industries in the Balkans and Central Europe, linked to the spread of Homo sapiens, has been dated to around 48 ka cal BP. A key area of IUP dispersals are the mountains and piedmont of southern Siberia and eastern Central Asia. One of the reference assemblages here is Kara-Bom, an open-air site in the Siberian Altai. Three major settlement phases are distinguished in the sediment sequence. In this paper, we present the results of new radiocarbon determinations and Bayesian models. We find that the latest phase of the IUP, Upper Paleolithic 1 (‘UP1’) is bracketed between 43 and 35 ka cal BP (at 95.4% probability). The earliest IUP phase, ‘UP2’, begins to accumulate from ca. 49 ka cal BP and ends by ca. 45 ka cal BP. The Middle Paleolithic ‘MP2’ assemblages all fall prior to 50 ka cal BP. We can detect a spatial distribution of dates from the geographic core of the IUP beyond the Altai where it appears around 47–45 ka cal BP. The current distribution of dates suggests a west–east dispersal of the IUP technocomplex along the mountain belts of Central Asia and South Siberia.

Distribution of Heavy Metals in Water and Bottom Sediments in the Basin of Lake Gusinoe (Russia): Ecological Risk Assessment

Fresh water scarcity is considered a significant component, and potentially one of the most critical, of global climate change. With the rapid development of industry, there is an increasing risk of freshwater contamination by heavy metals (HMs). The danger of HM pollution is also attributed to their accumulation, which can subsequently become a source of secondary pollution in aquatic environments. In the Lake Gusinoe basin, located in Russia, concentrations of HMs were measured in both water and bottom sediments within the lake area, as well as in inflowing and outflowing watercourses. Ecological risk indices were also calculated for the Gusinoe basin. Our results showed that the average concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, and Pb in the water did not exceed the maximum allowable concentrations (MACs) set by Russian national standards and WHO standards, while the concentrations of Mn and Cu exceeded the corresponding MACs during winter, spring, and autumn possibly due to decomposition of aquatic vegetation and influx from groundwater sources. The average concentrations of the investigated HMs in the BSs did not exceed the background values. The water hazard index indicated a low risk for all samples in the lake water area. For all BS samples, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and the Pollution Load Index (PLI) indicated low pollution levels, while the values of the Enrichment Factor (EF) and the Contamination Factor (CF) indicated moderate pollution in the central part of the lake. The Ecological Risk Factor (Er) for Cu in BSs at points near major settlements and in the Tel River indicated moderate pollution. The Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI) in all investigated BS samples indicated a low risk of contamination.

Perceptions underlying road safety behaviours of drivers in urban Ghana – a health-belief and planned behaviour perspective

PurposeThe study aims to examine social-psychological beliefs and personality traits and their linkage with driver predispositions and road safety behaviour grounded on notions derived from an integration of the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in social marketing.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a cross-sectional survey to gather data from 587 licenced drivers in 3 major urban settlements in Ghana. The theoretical model was tested by using covariance-based structural equation modelling.FindingsThe study finds that the effects of perceived benefits, perceived behavioural control, social norms and cues to action on road safety behaviour are direct; the effects of perceived susceptibility, severity and barriers on road safety behaviour are fully mediated by driver attitude towards safe driving. Some of these effects were moderated by conscientiousness and neuroticism.Practical implicationsThe findings offer empirical grounds for the development of evidence-based social marketing interventions that leverage efficacy-centred messages, social influence through community-based approaches, informational cues with consistent education and are tailored to the personality traits of drivers with the aim of inducing wilful on-road safety behaviour towards achieving sustainable road safety culture.Originality/valueThis study extends the integrative applicability of the HBM and TPB in understanding road safety behaviour and establishes attitude as a vital facilitator, and personality traits as moderators of the belief-preventive behaviour linkage within a developing country context. It contributes towards the use of theory-based outcomes to enhance the efficacy of social marketing road safety campaigns.

Population-Level Risk Factors Related to Measles Case Fatality: A Conceptual Framework Based on Expert Consultation and Literature Review.

A better understanding of population-level factors related to measles case fatality is needed to estimate measles mortality burden and impact of interventions such as vaccination. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework of mechanisms associated with measles case fatality ratios (CFRs) and assess the scope of evidence available for related indicators. Using expert consultation, we developed a conceptual framework of mechanisms associated with measles CFR and identified population-level indicators potentially associated with each mechanism. We conducted a literature review by searching PubMed on 31 October 2021 to determine the scope of evidence for the expert-identified indicators. Studies were included if they contained evidence of an association between an indicator and CFR and were excluded if they were from non-human studies or reported non-original data. Included studies were assessed for study quality. Expert consultation identified five mechanisms in a conceptual framework of factors related to measles CFR. We identified 3772 studies for review and found 49 studies showing at least one significant association with CFR for 15 indicators (average household size, educational attainment, first- and second-dose coverage of measles-containing vaccine, human immunodeficiency virus prevalence, level of health care available, stunting prevalence, surrounding conflict, travel time to major city or settlement, travel time to nearest health care facility, under-five mortality rate, underweight prevalence, vitamin A deficiency prevalence, vitamin A treatment, and general malnutrition) and only non-significant associations for five indicators (antibiotic use for measles-related pneumonia, malaria prevalence, percent living in urban settings, pneumococcal conjugate vaccination coverage, vitamin A supplementation). Our study used expert consultation and a literature review to provide additional insights and a summary of the available evidence of these underlying mechanisms and indicators that could inform future measles CFR estimations.

Mapping spatial patterning of Bronze Age towers in Oman according to water flow accumulation

AbstractWater played an undeniably significant role in the origins of complex societies across the Near East, but political complexity in regions like Southeast Arabia diverges dramatically from the more well‐known histories of Egypt, the Levant and Mesopotamia. Through quantitative analysis, this paper investigates spatial associations between water availability and Umm an‐Nar towers in Adh Dhahirah Governorate of Oman. We hypothesise that ancient Umm an‐Nar people targeted high water flow accumulation areas for major settlements with towers. Our results lead us to reject the null hypothesis of no spatial association between tower settlements and water and help clarify the role of water in the rise of complex polities.

Drivers of household antibiotic use in urban informal settlements in Northern Ghana: Implications for antimicrobial resistance control.

Urban informal settlements have been described as the epicenters of frequent antibiotic misuse, which has local and global consequences on the goals of antimicrobial stewardship. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and practices of antibiotic use among households in urban informal settlements in the Tamale metropolis of Ghana. This study was a prospective cross-sectional survey of the two major informal settlements in the Tamale metropolis, namely Dungu-Asawaba and Moshie Zongo. In all, 660 households were randomly selected for this study. Households with an adult and at least a child under 5 years old were randomly chosen. An adult with knowledge of household healthcare practices was selected to respond to a structured questionnaire. In all, 291 (44.1%) of the 660 households reported taking at least one type of antibiotic within the last month before the study and 30.9% (204/660) had used antibiotics without a prescription. Information on which antibiotics to use was obtained mostly from friends/family members 50 (24.5%) and were commonly purchased from a medical store or a pharmacy 84 (41.2%), saved up from a previously used antibiotic 46 (22.5%), a friend/family members 38 (18.6%), and drug hawkers 30 (14.7%). Amoxicillin 95 (26.0%) was the most frequently used antibiotic and the commonest indication for antibiotics use was diarrhea 136 (37.9%). Female respondents (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.199-4.301; p < 0.0001), larger households (OR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.337-3.117; p = 0.0011) and those with highermonthly household income (OR = 3.39; 95% CI = 1.945-5.816; p < 0.0001) were more likely to have good knowledge of appropriate antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, bad attitudes influenced participants' use of antibiotics without prescription (OR = 2.41; 95% CI = 0.432-4.05; p = 0.0009). This study exposes the drivers of inappropriate use of antibiotics at the household level, particularly in urban informal settlements. Policy interventions aimed at controlling the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in such settlements could improve the responsible use of antibiotics. Keywords: antibiotic resistance, informal settlements, Tamale, Ghana.